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So you may have heard that the “A” Team (Michelle Brown (ATLien) and Joi Pearson) hit up New Orleans, Louisiana this year for the 2011 Essence Music Festival.
The trip itself became somewhat of a ritual for my girlfriends and I about 4 years ago but last year I decided that since I was going anyway, I would cover Essence for StraightFromTheA.
Some of my highest trafficked blogs were spawned from incidents that occurred during that hot & sweaty weekend….
Monica Kicks off 2010 Essence Festival
WTF?!? A Moment of Silence for that Pole…
Tyler Perry’s Response to “Boondocks” Spoof… [VIDEO]
5 Things I Learned in the Belvedere Lounge…
Well I promise you this year wasn’t any different! So while I get my wits about me, check out my collection of “on the scene” photos that were posted on my personal site [IamATLien.com]. Each and every photo has a story….
Tami Roman (Basketball Wives) & ATLien
Tami is cool as hell and I love her to death. I spotted her backstage with her fellow “basketball wives” Evelyn Lozado and Shaunie Oneal. Joi and I complimented Evelyn on footwork and as we were getting our lil photo ops in with Tami, Shaunie pops out of the curtain behind us as she was just completing an interview.
As I was posting for the photo above, my supersonic ears overheard a reporter telling Shaunie ‘that’s that girl who runs that blog out of Atlanta’, to which Shaunie rolled her eyes and gave a lil smirk.
That being said, we got pics of Tami and Evelyn’s shoes and then we rolled out just like Shaunie’s eyes….
Peter Thomas is my fave! I’ve said it a gazillion times, I know. But when he spotted me at the bar, it was hilarious. Peter came up like, ‘what you say bout me?’ in his cute Jamaican accent and I immediately thought about his Mugshot Mania post but he just laughed and gave me a hug.
Cynthia Bailey was standing a few feet away chatting with Boris Kodjoe. When she turned to speak, Boris exited stage left. Last year, Boris wouldn’t speak to me because he was salty about THIS POST where that chick from the 1st season of Basketball Wives sent me photos claiming to have sexed him up. I posted his response to the rumors, but apparently that wasn’t enough. It was at last year’s festival that Boris made a point of telling anyone who would listen that he and his wife were A-OK… (watch video) and I believe him.
Me and Jawn Murray (formerly of The Tom Joyner Morning Show)
Jawn put my site on the map 3 years ago, when Tameka Foster Glover Raymond threatened to kill me sent me all those crazy emails. Jawn was so supportive during that time and even mentioned me on the Tom Joyner morning show (click HERE if you missed it). I can remember being so stoked about it! I’ve loved him every since….
Eric Benet was one of the many celebs casually chilling in the Belvedere lounge. I don’t have a funny story to tell about him… except for the fact that those eyes can see through to your soul! Someone even devoted an entire blog to Benet’s classic stare….
ATLien, KodakBoi & Joi
Gettin my “mean mug” on….
Derek J’s footwork…. had to get him quick cause NeNe wouldn’t let him speak with me (especially after I spotted she & her hubby Greg together).
Greg & NeNe Leakes…
“Rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated… “
MC Lyte’s WTF moment at the door of the Superdome…
(Sidebar: I had no idea she was so tiny!)
Isaiah Washington’s WTF moment at the door of the Superdome…
(It’s cool to see that some people understand my sense of humor…)
I spotted Johnny Gill on the ground as we were walking back to the hotel room after being put out of a cab…
TwanaTells ~ ATLien ~ KodakBoi ~ JoiPearson
EntrepreNeGros.
Me and Kenny “Touch YoSelf” Burns at the White Party…
All White Everything…
Joi and I after we ate ourselves to death at Drago’s in New Orleans…
(shout out to the manager (Hiwit) for taking such great care of us!)
Joi and I preparing to celebrate her B-Day on our final night in NO! I don’t recall much of what happened next, besides THIS.
A gazzilion Essence concert goers…
Again… these were just a random sampling of photos ganked from my phone. The good ones will be posted soon, I promise! In the meantime, check out these cool videos snippets from the show:
New Edition (If It Isn’t Love)
Bobby Brown (Singing Solo)
Mary J. Blige (Not Gone Cry)
MORE COMING SOON!
Did you attend this year’s festivities in New Orleans? If so, what was your experience like?
No i didnt go but i promise ill go next year for sure!
Big Girl, why must you continue to hold up dueces in your pictures, this is so uncool, please leave the ratchness out of the photos, enough already.
Great photos
Lookin’ great ATLien. Looks like fun times were had by all. I’ve been reading your blog a little more than a year and honestly can’t imagine anyone being too bent out of shape. Maybe Boris got it wrong.
We all have feelings that deserve to be respected, but so far you seem to do that quite well, while infusing just enough humor to keep me coming back. Sometimes I think "celebrities" that want absolutely nothing said about them, unless they say it, should stay home or embark on another career path. Just a thought. Stay blessed.
[...] Photos on the scene of the 2011 Essence Festival – Straight from the A [...]
I agree with Jckie. Also, I don’t blame Boris Kodjoe for his aversion to someone who would irresponsibly print, for the world to see, that he was cheating on his lovely wife with a skank (the only kind of person who would admit to & publicize such a thing). I think it is to his credit that all he did was avoid you.
enuff wit the two fingers. how old are u? since tami got all that work done she is now on the prowl lookn for a baller, to bad she has shown her loud mouth ghetto self . any man with half a brain wont be checkn for her. unless that want some of that bbw money. LOL AMAZON
I am a long time Essence festival attendee. I hadn’t been to NO since 2004. THIS WILL BE MY LAST YEAR. I paid almost 400 a night to stay at Harrah’s and then had to deal with almost walking in horse crap on Burbon street. It was stinky and NASTY. This will be me and my girls last trip to this location. The stars don’t even walk around like they did in past years. I think we will be at a st. lucia jazz festival next year. Thanks for all the other great years, but that STANK is NOT FOR ME.
Nice pictures, however o have to echo the last comment. This will be my last essence fest. I was at the dome and I found the new security to be extremely rude and pushy. I also felt as though the attendees of essence were a more ratchet bunch. What ever happened to the old days of essence? Why is it declining in quality and where are the old school acts that made essence like Franky and Maze? Essence fest has become trash just like essence magazine.